Lighter



April 1965 R. REICHERT 3,245,233

LIGHTER Filed May 23, 19 3 lll 9 FIG. I

FIG.2

FIG.3

INVEN TOR. RAYMON D REIOHERT United States Patent 3,245,233 LIGHTERRaymond Reichert, 606 W. 8th St., Erie, Pa. Filed May 23, 1963, Ser. No.282,766 1 Claim. (Cl. 67-71) This invention relates to lighters of thetype frequently used by smokers and has, for its general object, theprovision of a lighter which is an improvement upon those which are nowcommonly in use.

Lighters which are now commonly in use either require the operator topush open the cap and then rotate the striking wheel manually in twoseparate operations or they have complicated mechanisms to coordinatethese motions. These mechanisms are subject to operational andmaintenance problems.

It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide animproved lighter.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lighter which willautomatically strike when the cap is open, yet has a simple mechanismincorporated therein.

A further object of the invention is to provide a lighter which issimple in construction, economical to manufacture, and simple andefficient to use.

With the above and other objects in View, the present invention consistsof the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fullydescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and more particularlypointed out in the appended claim, it being understood that changes maybe made in the form, size, proportions, and minor details ofconstruction without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of theadvantages of the invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view taken on line 1-1 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is a side view partly broken away showing a lighter according tothe invention;

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of a part of the lighter; and

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

Now with more particular reference to the drawing, the lighter shown hasa body which is of a familiar shape open at the top and containing theusual wicking for carrying a lighter fluid.

A cover 11 is swingably connected to the top by means of an axle 12which extends through ears 13. The ears 13 are integral with the sidesof the body of the container. The axle 12 extends through the ears 13and holds the .cover 11 in place. The cover, when closed, is held by afastener 21 which cooperates with a member 28 in the cover.

A helical spring 32 is disposed around the aXle 12. One end of thehelical spring 32 rests on the body 10 at 33. The other end rests in thecover 11 at 34. Thus, the cover 11 is urged to open position. A sleeve35 is disposed around the spring 32 and forms an enclosure for it.

A chimney 14 extends upwardly from the body or liner and it may be anintegral part of the liner. The chimney 14 may also be integral with thesides of the body. This chimney has perforations 15 in the side forventilation and it surrounds a Wick 24 which is in communication withthe inside of the body as aforesaid. The wick 24 could be replaced by asuitable source of hydrocarbon gas or the like.

A striking wheel 16 is supported bewteen the sides of the chimney 14 andis carried on an axle 18. The striking wheel 16 has laterally extending,pin like lugs spaced along the side edges thereof. It is preferred touse three pins in order to have proper spacing. The spacing of threepins has been discovered to be approximately 3,245,233 Patented Apr. 12,1966 "ice optimum for this type of lighter to give the wheel a rapidrotation when the cover is opened.

A lever 19 is in the form of a U-shaped member which is attached to thecover 11 by a pin 22. A hook 20 always underlies one of the pins 17 whenthe cover 11 is closed.

The flint is disposed below the striking wheel 16 and urged intoengagement with the striking wheel with a suitable spring arrangementfamiliar to those skilled in the art.

A spring 25 may be a leaf spring which is fixed to the top of thelighter adjacent the wick 24 and which extends toward the wheel 16 oneach side thereof. The spring 25 will urge the lever 19 under thelaterally extending pins 17 and when the notch or hook registers with apin and the hook is under the spring, the hook 20 will be urged up tosurround one of the pins 17. When the operator pulls the cover to theposition shown, the wheel 16 will be rotated and its roughened surfacewill strike the flint as it rotates. The sparks thereby generated willautomatically light the fuel.

A tube 30 is fixed to the cover 11 at 31. This tube surrounds the wick24 and collects and retains gas therefrom when the lighter is closed.This gas forms a combustible mixture with air in the tube 30. Thiscauses the flint to immediately ignite the wick 24.

A sleeve 134 is concentric to the tube 30 and telescopically receivedtherein. The sleeve 134 is urged outwardly by a spring 135. The sleeve134 surrounds the wick 24 and is urged to seat firmly around the wick.Thus, it retains all gas fumes therearound so that the wick will be litpromptly by the spark from the flint. The sleeve 134 has a groove 38therein which receives a detent 137 and limits the sliding movement ofthe sleeve 134 in the tube 30.

An insert sleeve 37 is a wear insert. It is disposed in a counterbore ina tube 23. The insert sleeve 37 prevents wear of the tube 23. The tube23 which supports the flint has the insert sleeve 37 fixed to the upperend thereof. The insert sleeve 37 receives the flint and holds it inpositive location while it is abraded by the wheel 16.

The foregoing specification sets forth the invention in its preferredpractical forms but the structure shown is capable of modificationwithin a range of equivalents without departing from the invention whichis to be under stood is broadly novel as is commensurate with the appended claim.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:

A lighter comprising a hollow body open at the top,

a cover on said body swingably attached thereto to swing about an axisfrom open to closed position,

a flint in said body,

a wheel having a roughened surface attached to said body to rotatearound an axis parallel to said axis about which said cover swings,

said axis about which said wheel rotates being disposed on the side ofsaid flint remote from said axis about which said cover swings,

means to urge said flint into engagement with said roughened surface ofsaid wheel,

spaced, laterally extending lugs on a side of said wheel and spaced fromthe axle thereof,

a lever swingably attached to said cover at a position spaced from saidaxis about which said cover swings,

the distal end of said lever being rounded and having an upwardlydirected notch therein,

an elongated leaf spring attached to said body adjacent said Wheelbetween said wheel and said axis of said cover and extending upwardlyand toward said axle of said wheel and below said lugs,

said lever moving between said spring and one said lug when said coveris closed,

said spring urging said notch in said lever into engagement with a saidlug when said cover is'fully closed,

said lever engaging said notch and rotating said wheel when said coverisswung to open position,

a wick disposed on said body adjacent said Wheel,

and a chimney in the form of spaced, upwardly extending, perforatedmembers surrounding said wick,

said Wheel being disposed between two'sides of said chimney and havingits axle supported on said chimney.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,647,383 8/1953Florman 677.1 2,713,255 7/1955 Hubel 677.1 3,143,871 8/1964 Schmitz677.1

FOREIGN PATENTS 651,191 10/1928 France. 999,221 10/1951 France. 408,9164/1934 Great Britain.

FREDERICK L. MATTESON, IR., Primary Examiner.

EDWARD J. MICHAEL, ROBERT A. OLEARY,

Examiners.

